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Corrupted Shadow
Return to main Prologue East Rukongai, late fall The full harvest moon burned a fiery orange in the night sky. The air was clear, crisp, with just a touch of the bitter wind that signified that winter was on its way. All across the small framing district quiet lights could be seen, dotting the landscape with small circles of yellow. They were made of grass and rapeseed oil, silent sentinels on tall poles that watched over the farmers who were still laboring past dark. Here and there the quiet murmur of a lone voice or two could be heard, but there was very little conversation as rough hands worked steadily, dragging wheat back and forth across the threshing floors. The oracle had told them that rain would come by tomorrow, even though the sky was perfectly clear now. They had yet to prove the old woman and her bones wrong, and the prediction had sparked a frenzy of activity across the land. If they did not store the dried wheat in time a season’s work would be wasted. With winter biting at their heels, a spoiled harvest spelled starvation for many. The fields themselves lay still and barren, the wind blowing dust and chaff over the hard, naked ground. Kana felt the cold through her bare feet as she walked alongside her husband, Natsuo, across a small path that divided two fields. Both of them carried heavy loads across their backs, a pile of wheat stalks that they were transporting to one of the threshing floors. His steps were slow and heavy, and she felt the same exhaustion. They had been at work since the first rays of dawn that morning, with a scant break at noon for a quick meal of barley bread and pickled fish. Then it had been back to their toils. Every muscle in Kana’s body was stretched to its limit across her slight frame. Her shoulders where tight and there was a burning pain in her spine. Yet she had born it all without complaint, Natsuo had done the same. He was a good man. They had been married that spring, and though he was stoic and spoke little to her, he had a strong and kind strength of character. Perhaps he even loved her. She smiled a little at that. From the corner of her eye she caught some form of movement in the shadows at the edge of the field. She stopped, straightened up a bit, and peered into the darkness. The moon bathed the dark earth in golden light, casting strange, long shadows across the berms. There was a presence there, something lurking just beyond the edge of her perception. And, narrowing her eyes, she caught a faint, bluish shimmering of light. A ghostly aura, hovering above the ground. “Natsuo…” she began, her voice cracked and dry in her throat. But then she trailed off. It seemed to her that there was a faint, barely audible song. A lullaby. Listening closely she thought she could remember the tune, but just barely. Some caressing melody that her mother had sang to her as a child, playing at the back of her mind… Calling her into the field. She let her burden of wheat slip to the ground and her tired, spent body carry her into the darkness. Her mind was already far away, drifting in some comfortable, hypnotic dream. By the time Natsuo realized that Kana was no longer behind him he had gone some distance down the path. He turned, saw the stack of stalks lying on the ground, and panic seized his chest. For some time now he had been uneasy, the atmosphere did not feel right. There had been a nagging, insidious throb at the back of his mind, ever since the sun had started to go down that day. He knew what dangers could lurk in the wild lands of the Rukongai to the east, he had seen a Hollow take its fill of souls, and there were desperate men at large as well, some more deadly than Hollows. He could not allow anything to happen to Kana. Not now. He dropped his own bundle and with staggering, limping steps ran back to where she had been just a moment before. “Kana!” he called out. There was no reply. His heart was pounding in his chest as he searched the fields frantically. She could not just disappear into thin air… There. Something had moved from across the field, shrinking into the dark shadows of a dry creek bed. He took off once more, ignoring the pain in his stiff limbs as he ran. That subtle menace he had felt all along was no longer subtle, the danger was real. Palpable. An unhealthy, dank sweat dripped from his temples and his ragged breathing filled the silence. Nothing else could be heard, he was utterly alone in the stillness. Natsuo reached the tangled brambles of the creek bed and stopped. “Kana!” he cried again, and then he listened. Nothing. Except… The breeze moved through the stripped branches of the trees, a shadow seemed to fall across the land. And then he heard a song. Faint. Haunting. Eyes wide he entered the thick mass of dead woods, his feet thrashing noisily through the blanket of brittle leaves on the ground. “Kana,” he repeated her name over and over to himself softly. “Kana,” The branches seemed to part before him and he entered a clearing. There, in a sickly pool of yellow moonlight, her body lay. Black blood smeared across her mouth and chest. All his strength drained suddenly from him and he collapsed to the ground, crawling to reach the body of his wife. “Kana,” he cradled her gently, murmuring soft nothings in her unhearing ears. He rocked her back and forth as harsh tears dug trails through the dust on his face. It had been too swift. There had been no warning. He could not comprehend it. Her death terrified her. And then, from the corner of his eye he saw as a shadow moved. He turned, and was suddenly frozen in place as the darkness moved across the clearing. It blotched out the moonlight with inky fingers, reaching for him, growing ever darker and looming over him, like a wide, yawning chasm. Then, the shadows swallowed him. The Assignment The controlled rustling of papers disrupted the otherwise silent office of the Thirteenth Division Lieutenant. A single man paced to and fro retrieving the documents littered across the floor. The hectic placement of paraphernalia clearly pointed to the owner's negligent attitude, or otherwise indicated a man much too preoccupied to tend to his quarters. Once the man was finished collecting the documents, he neatly piled them atop the only desk in the office and sat himself on its chair, leaving alone the countless scrolls and books of every sort that comprised the mess alongside the documents. With a satisfied smile, the man reclined on his seat, allowing the sunlight from the tall windows behind him to highlight his features. His shoulder-length emerald hair was tied back into a low, ponytail. His amber eyes shifted to and fro to indicate his lack of focus. His slender, youthful figure indicated a Shinigami who had perhaps spent more time as a recluse rather than battling alongside his peers. The white-coated dog which lay beside the desk in rest perhaps indicated a love of animals; but with this particular dog's massive black-tipped tail, it was surely a warped love indeed. Renewed by his fleeting reprieve, the man carefully rose from his seat. Upon gently patting the dog to bid farewell, the man directed himself toward the exit, firmly clenching his fist and breathing heavily to prepare himself for a more uncertain moment. Without a doubt, this man was the Lieutenant of— “Did you just touch me?” called a rather deep, but refined voice from behind the Shinigami. Sweating profusely, the Shinigami creaked his head in the direction of the dog, who slowly opened his sky blue eyes and looked in the direction of the Shinigami, his disappointment evident from the repetitious slamming of his tail onto the wooden floor. The Shinigami responded to the disrupting noise by promptly facing the dog's direction. “W—what? O—oh, I was just—” “Silence,” the dog command with a harsh tone. As he raised himself, the Thirteenth Division badge could clearly be seen hanging from his collar. He leaped onto the chair of his desk as if ready to pass judgment to his poor aide. “What do you think you are doing? Did I not express that you were to do something about this mess in full before I awoke from my meditation? Why have my personal belongings not been addressed as well?” Indeed, being a dog as a Shinigami Lieutenant would have many disadvantages, including the inability to handle important documents by oneself. And so, being as stubborn as he was, this one-of-a-kind hound elected to hire an aide to perform tasks that he would be incapable of performing on his own without needless effort, as he so deemed it; and ideally, only he would ever be aware of this arrangement. The Shinigami's eyes shifted across the mess on the floor. “Oh? Well, I thought you told me you didn't want me touching your books, so I—” “I will not repeat myself,” the dog interjected with a modest tone, “so you had best listen carefully. I will be leaving on an important 'errand' that you have no right to speak of. All that I require of you is that you finish your chores before I return. And if you must place your hands on my possessions, you may do so with gloves; I would prefer you don't damage anything with your corrosive stench. Is that understood? Then I believe we're done; you are dismissed until I depart.” The strain on the Shinigami's face slightly lightened at the idea of leaving from the Lieutenant's office. “Very well, sir. Should I retrieve your Zanpakutō from Captain Honoria?” “That will not be necessary,” the dog firmly replied. “I have no intention of parading my identity in handling an issue of a more delicate nature.” And with that, the Shinigami bowed before his Lieutenant and gleefully skipped on his way out of the office, however brief his respite would be. The eccentric Lieutenant, going by the name of Glacies Fidus, lightly growled at such a pitiful sight before closing his eyes once more. His “errand” was in fact a mission of utmost importance to him, for he had been assigned to fulfill it by none other than the Captain Commander. Why a mysterious Shinigami such as himself would be given such an important task, he did not know for sure; but perhaps, he hoped, an opportunity to prove his loyalty to the Gotei 13 had finally come. Of course, only the wagging of his tail at the thought of silencing the naysayers displayed his excitement; were he not a dog, such would have been entirely impossible to detect from him. As wary as he was surly, Glacies had carefully organized an effective means to complete the assignment, which he had immediately deemed would require more than his efforts alone. As such, upon being given the assignment, he promptly sent a message, via Jikokuchō, to both the Sixth and Fifth Divisions to request two officers from the former Division and one from the latter; the message sent to the Sixth Division differed in that Glacies had requested one officer by name. He would meet the chosen officers in a selected location to brief them on the mission himself. He had pondered recruiting a few more officers with appropriate abilities but decided that it would ultimately be unneeded. And so, all that was left was to await a favorable response, which came faster than he had anticipated. Materializing from tiny wisps of light, a single Jikokuchō landed on his nose and prompted a moment of silence. Upon fully receiving the message, Glacies opened his eyes. “Is that so?” he spoke in a barren tone, clearly unaffected by the favorable nature of the response he had received. With the impressive agility he was known for, he dashed out of his office with the intent of rendezvousing with the selected officers and carrying out the assignment that would make known the mettle and honor he had acquired as a human of legend back in olden days. '---' :6th Division Headquarters, Midday Takashi Sakuma was seated on the veranda outside the Lieutenant’s office, in an uncharacteristically relaxed state. He cupped a chawan of steaming green tea in his hand and watched two sparrows chatter at each other on the wall across the lawn. The day was bright and warm for the season, and Kohaku dozed lazily in the sunlight, perched in the tree that lay directly across from his office. He savored his tea. It was a robust, late season , a hallmark of autumn. The hearty flavor reminded him of seasons gone by, and in particular his old Kenjutsu instructor. The old man had preferred bancha over other kinds of ryokucha, and had drank it zealously. He could still recall the smell of Hotake’s breath when he would take his hands in his own, directing him in the proper manner to hold his shinai. There was a touch of sadness in the memory: he and his sensei had not parted on good terms. Perhaps, someday, they would meet again. He would have to be sure to give the old man a package of the best bancha in the Soul Society, he mused. All too soon the tea was gone and his brief respite over. Takashi placed the cup on the small tray beside him and sighed as he stood up. There was a stack of paperwork awaiting him, and if he wished to finish before dinner he could not procrastinate a moment longer. But just as he turned to go inside he caught a glint in the sky, and as he watched a black butterfly emerged from a thin slip of light and floated gently towards him. A Jikokuchō? He wondered who had sent the message. Kohaku seemed to sense the movement of the delicate creature through the air and roused herself, blinking sleepily as Takashi extended his hand towards the butterfly. It landed gently on his finger, and there was a brief moment of soft static as the Jikokuchō established a connection through Takashi’s own nervous system. He heard the voice of the 13th Division Lieutenant, Glacies Fidus, as he made an official request. He sensed as Kohaku’s mind linked with his own, allowing her to hear the message as well. An official assignment from the head Captain? She asked as soon as the message was over. So it seems. He replied. But why would Glacies choose you to be on the task force? Takashi shrugged. It could be that he is aware of my experience in the Rukongai, and wanted someone who could serve as a guide of sorts. He suggested. Still, she added, it seems strange to send two Lieutenants out on such a minor mission. Takashi frowned. It may not be as minor as you think. It is always better to be cautious. Kohaku chuckled. You are such a bore. No wonder none of the females in the division notice you. You’re too serious. Takashi glared at her, indignant. The reason why I can never find a date is because you scare them all away. He retorted. And besides, romantic associations are outside my line of duty. He finished firmly. She laughed. You should just admit that you’re too shy to ask any of them out. Takashi gave up and turned sharply, striding into his office. So, what will be your response to Glacies? Kohaku asked in a more serious tone. He did not reply at first as he shuffled through a pile of papers, checking a division schedule. “The Captain is not planning to leave for any reason, as far as I know,” he said aloud, “and I can leave our Third Seat in charge while we’re gone.” He quickly formulated a response and transmitted the message to the hell butterfly that was still resting on his hand, wings beating expectantly as he finished the reply. Then it rose gracefully into the air before disappearing in another soft flash of light, on its way to deliver the affirmative to Glacies. I want to take our Fourth Seat along. He told Kohaku. He could use the experience, and as he is a new member I would like to become more familiar with him. Do you mean Sasada? Kohaku asked. Yes. Takashi replied, beginning to like the idea more as he thought about it. Sasada is strong, and possesses a high amount of spiritual power for his rank. I have seen him in training sessions, and can say that his Zanpakutō would be useful in a fight. He would be good for support. Kohaku, who was generally uninterested in the daily mechanics of the division’s operations, paid little attention to members they did not interact with on a regular basis. If you say so. She said as she picked a loose feather from her foot. Glacies wants us to meet at the East Seireimon Gate right away, if possible. Takashi quickly surveyed the office. He felt guilty at the pile of papers stacked neatly on one corner of the table, reports needing to be filed. But at last he shrugged as he left the room, sliding the door closed behind him. The Third Seat will have to handle that. He thought. He walked quickly down the veranda, his footsteps thudding evenly into the polished wood. Kohaku left the branch and glided alongside the covered porch, keeping pace with him although it was cumbersome for her to travel at such a slow speed. Where are you going now? She asked. First, to inform the Captain and Third Seat of the transfer in the chain of command. He stopped for a few seconds at the end of the boardwalk to put on his waraji, then continued his journey across the division’s headquarters. Then I’m going to find Sasada. He told her. Where do you suppose he is now? Kohaku asked as she took her signature position on his shoulder. At this time of day, probably at the training grounds. He said. He is a diligent man. Kohaku cast a sly glance in his direction. Unlike you. She said. I bet the reason you're so eager to be off is to avoid that stack of paperwork sitting back at your office. Takashi grimaced at her comment. As usual, her sharp hawk’s eyes had left little undetected. You know me too well. He said with a wry grin. '---' It was such an uneventful day, a peaceful day where everyone can simply relax after such varying activities done within the morning, simply laying one's bones and nerves to ease by sitting on a simple chair with one's sleepy eyes foreseeing an afternoon nap coming along with a warm tea sitting beside them provide enough entertainment through varying methods like this... Unfortunately things were not the same within the barracks of the Fifth Division. Where others are to enjoy such beautiful and peaceful day, Tyler Ryūdō seems to spend his time enjoying not the sunlight, oh no. Not the birds chirping around as the wind blows through their feathers, no no, not even calm atmosphere others are enjoying right now. He spent his entire morning enjoying through the warm breeze that went inside his barracks by small windows and fading lights that came from the exact same windows behind his office. The same would work for him, but is it really wise to neglect his work? Indeed, his work; mountains of papers stacked on top of his table, not to mention the same amount of papers stacked beside him with wooden chairs supporting them. One's mind couldn't simply bear all those papers sitting around. But for some reason a smile was reflected across his face; a true sign of happiness. How bizarre indeed, to think that not a single person can withstand all of those papers overwhelming oneself, not even spending a minute with them. But in his case, it is different; Tyler was always the cheerful guy, the guy who reminded everyone about what the word "happiness" is all about. He didn't bother getting stressed; Why bother? he would ask. With his fingers moving around a pen he bought from one of the famously-known shops around Rukongai, his handwriting began to defect slightly: he was all fine the entire morning, his smile was wide, his handwriting was good, but still, after hours of work like this, even the happiest among people cannot stand it. They were simply unbearable. Just looking at the papers left on his desk, his face began to twitch. With an instant sigh, he let go of his pen. Finally he gave up. The words Why bother? were regretted by him. If only he had rejected those papers his captain left for him, he would be enjoying the warm and fresh day. “Ryūdō-kun?” a soft and mature voice called out. Tyler's body instantly stiffened. With his eyes wide open, it was as if a predator was there, to hunt him down and devour him. No, it was worse than that. It was way worse than that. His blue eyes searched around as mountains of papers blocked the entirety of his sight. Indeed, all he could see for the past hours were stacks of papers surrounding him along with the light illuminating oneself, nothing more. “What is it, Captain Ryūren?” Tyler asked, his voice began to crumble, he put his efforts altogether within to do a simple thing such as talking back, or in his case, answering a question. It may seem as if he is simply talking, but believe him when he says that all of his energy, throughout his body, was all directed to his voice. “You may leave work now,” the soft voice answered. What a relief it is to hear those words as they came to his ears. But is it one of his captain's tricks to see his reaction? He wouldn't know. He wouldn't answer right away. That aside, he couldn't simply answer this right away. “Is something up, Captain?” There. That was truly the best answer, or question, he could come up with. If his captain was truly testing him or tying to find out what his answer is, indeed, he has provided the perfect defense for that. He gulped quietly, silent approached through his quarters. He was shaking indeed, but his smile, as always, were sturdy enough to withstand such a thing. “Ryūdō-kun,” his captain called out again. A brief pause between his captain's words already ensnared Tyler through many ways. He was afraid that his captain wasn't testing him. Whatever the cause, Tyler wasn't truly ready for whatever comes next within his words. “You are needed in the East Seireimon Gate within few minutes. Please make it there carefully. Await you are experienced officers, but I don't exactly know the number of them. I have enlisted you within a special task force to investigate some mysterious stuff,” his captain followed his words, his tone being critically more serious than before. Such a thing never happened right before Tyler's ears ever before. But why him? Among all the officers of the Fifth Division, why the third seat? Lieutenant Kazuryū can go, if his captain was truly correct about the information regarding experienced officers. In fact, the captain himself could simply go. “Ah, dramatic pauses,” his captain said aloud. “I do believe you are asking yourself, why me in particular? Indeed, I've enlisted you in such task force with some lieutenants. I could send Succubus to assist them, but I'm more interested in you now. Are you capable of exceeding my expectations, Ryūdō-kun?” Bizarre indeed, but who is Tyler to object such wise decision of his captain who analyzes things before saying so? There must be a critical reasoning behind such weird events like this, but he wouldn't mind it that much, would he? In fact, this would be his first actual mission within the Gotei 13, an impression to those who believe in him as a Division's third seat. Must he accept it? Of course he must, he will, and he wants to do so. His smile widened after such shrinking through the papers he had done earlier. Part of him was still curious about how his captain got this information from, but still, anything that can make him happy would make Tyler happy as well...and it looks like this won't be another peaceful and uneventful day at all. “Of course, Captain Ryūren,” he exerted his words aloud. His captain's terrifying presence no longer holds him in captive. He is truly happy about this one, and aside from that, he gets to skip his papers! Such a wonderful timing indeed; he bowed before his captain, only to be ignored by him as a barrier of papers blocked his captain from seeing him. A thump can be heard as his left leg emerges from its stiffness, his right hand grabs his Zanpakutō. Sakushū, while I don't completely like you, let's make this our best! '---' Down. Up. 156. ''Down. Up. 157. Down. Up. 158...After each grueling pushup, Masaharu uttered a number, marking the amount of push-ups he had done. ''Come on, Masaharu! Faster, Faster! After these two hundred push-ups, you must do two hundred pull-ups, then do two hundred more pushups! '' As soon as he reached the two hundred mark, Masaharu took a small break to wipe the sweat off of his brow. Within a few moments, he began to do the sets of pull-ups, counting in the same way as he had before. His sleek black hair was spiky, out of the way of his eyesight; he wasn't wearing anything on his upper body, displaying his hefty muscles. It was a typical day for the Fourth Seat of the Sixth Division, Masaharu Sasada. On the average, Masaharu would wake up early, get ready, then do some light exercise. When most Shinigami are reporting for his/her duties, he would show up to greet his superior officers, Lieutentant Takashi Sakuma and Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. He gave these two his highest respect and carried out the duties they assigned him with the utmost precision and care. Eventually, if at all, he would proceed to train for the remainder of the day. On this day, the work he had to do had not taken him very long. He had hoped he might find another Soul Reaper to train with, but today the well-used training ground was barren. His plans were to start with running fifteen miles, then two hundred push-ups, two hundred pull-ups, and so on. However, this day might not turn out to be as common as most. Before long, something caused him to momentarily pause his exercise. ''What is that? Masaharu thought as he craned his head to look over his shoulder. A figure was approaching the training grounds, slowly growing larger as he neared Masaharu. Expecting an important message from another officer, Masaharu hurriedly put on the remaining pieces of his Shihakushō, and confronted the figure. "Hello There!" he called out. He could make out the figure now, it was his Lieutenant Takashi. Yes! Hopefully he will assign me an exciting mission! I will proudly prove to everyone how the Sixth Division is the greatest of them all! I will impress him... His thoughts went on and on until Takashi began to speak. "I thought I would find you here," Takashi said, peering around the rather deserted training grounds. "You've been training hard as usual, I see." Masaharu bowed to his superior officer. "Yes, sir. I want to stay in top form, so I can perform my duties." Takashi nodded appreciatively. "Your diligence is to be commended," he paused, rubbing the scar across his brow for a moment before adding: "To cut things short, I am here because I want you to accompany me on a mission. I am sure you can agree?" he asked in a rather formal tone. "Of course, sir. I would be more the happy to assist you." "Excellent. We will meet Lieutenant Fidus at the East Seireimon... we leave at once." Takashi turned abruptly and strode out of the training grounds. Masaharu buoyantly used a short step of Shunpo to catch up, then kept a steady pace right beside Takashi. His thoughts wandered… I wonder how long we are going to be away? Takashi-san explained that there will be other high ranking officers coming along as well... this must be pretty important. I have heard the name Fidus before. I guess I will find out more about him soon. Hmm... I have to stay respectful. Being humble is key. Masaharu remembered the wise words that one of his old senseis told him. His mind delved in thought once again. Where are we going on this mission? Into the human world? I quite like the human world, even though humans themselves can get quite pesky at times. "So, sir, do you know what the plans are for this mission?" "The details were scarce, but I gather that we will be somewhere in the East Rukon districts." he responded. Slightly disapointed that they wouldn't be making the trek to the Human World, Masaharu nodded. Takashi glanced over at him, before he asked: "Sasada-san, how familiar are you with the Rukongai?" "I know a fair amount. I am from Southern Rukongai myself, so I may not know much about the Eastern Districts." "Fair enough." They continued in silence for sometime before Takashi said: "I have to warn you regarding Lieutenant Fidus. He can be rather... skeptical at times, and is not entirely fond of new recruits. Make sure you address him properly, and try to avoid getting on his bad side." he cautioned. "Yes sir. I will be sure to represent the Sixth Division as it is: one of the top divisions out there." Takashi smiled at the enthusiasm shown by the Fourth Seat. Eventually, they arrived at the Eastern Seireimon Gate. The gate stood tall as Masaharu looked up to admire it. Masaharu scanned the surrounding area, looking to find other members of his party. It appeared that they were the first to arrive, so Masaharu patiently waited under the shade of a nearby tree. '---' The wind breezed around the vicinity with such peaceful and undisturbed atmosphere enveloping the entirety of the Fifth Division barracks. Though something is wrong out there, nothing can disturb this atmosphere. A peaceful atmosphere would remind Tyler of his days as a simple soul within the Rukongai, all alone,...before his so-called "grandfather" approached him and took care of him. With that, he closed his memory off his mind and looked the grounds bellow. His mind is finally at peace, he will no longer feel as a burden that allowed his "grandfather" to be murdered. The actual light of the day began to illuminate his features; the same, wide smile was still reflected upon his face. With his mind at peace and his body at its full potential, he jumped off the roof of the barracks belonging to his Division, which left an apparent crack upon its facet; something which he has to fix later, of course. Riding among the winds with such graceful position, he raced against the forces of the wind through the use of Shunpo, flashing from a place to another, rooftops to rooftops. In mere minutes he landed upon the tile floors before the ground began to deform showing a mark that he is close to Rukongai; upon him is a gigantic gate that would seemingly prevent anyone from entering without any proper permissions. It is truly one of the most beautiful sights among Seireitei to which Tyler admired upon its designs. His brown eyes began to scan the area surrounding him; the peaceful and undisturbed atmosphere was there no longer, brought by a group of Shinigami awaiting others to fill in by the distance, but he was prepared for this. He moved his slender body towards them, in a single instant ending with him reaching them...his smile widened by every step he took. “Hello,” he said calmly. “I am Tyler Ryūdō, Third Seat of the Fifth Division. I am here by means to help and support you, and I am sent by Captain Ryūren of the Fifth.”